Design Context: Hotels

Showing posts with label Hotels. Show all posts

Monday, 10 October 2011

In Europe, from approximately the mid 17th century for a period of about 200 years, the coaching inn, sometimes called a coaching house or staging inn, was a vital part of the inland transport infrastructure, as an inn serving coach travelers. Although many survive, and some still offer overnight accommodation, in general they have lost their original function and now fulfill much the same function as ordinary pubs.

Lying as it does on the main north-south route (Ermine Street and the A1) from London, several Parliaments were held in Stamford in the Middle Ages. The George, the Bull and Swan, the Crown and the London Inn were well-known coaching inns. The town had to manage with Britain's north-south traffic through its narrow roads until 1960, when the bypass was built to the west of the town, only a few months after the M1opened.^[25] The old route is now the B1081. There is only one road bridge over the Welland (excluding the A1): a local bottleneck.^[26]

History of The Crown

"Lying as it does on the main north-south route (Ermine Street and the A1) from London, several Parliaments were held in Stamford in the Middle Ages. The George, the Bull and Swan, the Crown and the London Inn were well-known coaching inns. The town had to manage with Britain's north-south traffic through its narrow roads until 1960, when the bypass was built to the west of the town, only a few months after the M1opened.^[25] The old route is now the B1081. There is only one road bridge over the Welland (excluding the A1): a local bottleneck"

"In Europe, from approximately the mid 17th century for a period of about 200 years, the coaching inn, sometimes called a coaching house or staging inn, was a vital part of the inland transport infrastructure, as an inn serving coach travelers. Although many survive, and some still offer overnight accommodation, in general they have lost their original function and now fulfill much the same function as ordinary pubs."

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The Crown Hotel, centrally situated in "The finest stone town in England" offers 17th Century style with 21st Century Hospitality standards.

A hostelry has stood on the site since the 17th century with gradual alterations throughout the years then a major re-build at the front of the building in 1909. This has combined a variety of architectural styles with the comfort of modern facilities.

The Crown Hotel is set in the centre of Stamford in All Saints Place, adjacent to Red Lion Square. Stamford is an attractive stone built town with many properties hailing from the medieval and Georgian eras which are favoured with film makers and producers of costume dramas i.e. Pride and Prejudice, Middlemarch and The Da Vinci Code. There are many historic sites to visit in the town and the surrounding areas including Burghley House which hosts the famous Burghley Horse Trials. The Crown really is at the hub of Stamford life both socially and commercially and we can assure you of a warm welcome at any time of day.

Michael & Sue, a brother and sister partnership with local connections, have recently transformed this dated property into a more contemporary and stylish boutique hotel. All the traditional features have been retained whilst the best of new technology has been installed throughout. The two new lounges are cosy and welcoming with comfortable seating and glowing open fires. There is also an attractive, heated patio area for al fresco dining. Be warned; The Crown is a no smoking establishment but in order not to upset the smokers a covered and heated shelter as been erected!"

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THE CROWN

Review of The Crown

" A happy accident of geography, geology and politics has allowed Stamford to remain the ''finest stone town in England'' since its rise to prominence, thanks to the wool trade, centuries ago. At the meeting point of four counties in that tourist no-man's land, the East Midlands, its geography has also meant that, for most of us, this handsome town stays a little-known delight.

We tourists may whizz past on the A1, but that's our loss. Pause, and you'll find street after street of 18th and 19th-century timber-framed and limestone buildings in a thriving regional centre with not one but two historic coaching inns that still act as a hub for the local population, just as they did in the past.

They are very different. The George has a magnificent interior that must never change, and bedrooms and bathrooms that by all accounts need upgrading. The humbler Crown was on its last legs until it was bought 10 years ago and completely revamped. What it now lacks in original character (and it does) it makes up in modern comforts, high standards and local staff, though I do have a problem with the superficially trendy ground floor decoration. Boldly patterned wallpapers are all very well, but is this the place for flamingos?

That aside, the Crown is exactly what a town inn should be like, with local owners, a thriving bar and restaurant and cheerful, well-equipped, bedrooms (though I hate bottles of bath gel that are clamped to the wall – the opposite of homely).

We know our market," says Michael Thurlby, a down-to-earth local farmer turned hotelier and publican who loves his patch, and its history. Leaving his co-owner, his sister Sue Olver, and manager Sally Rouse to run the Crown, he scoots around between his other concerns in his muddy boots and farmer's coat. One is a nightclub. "I used to be young enough to feel at home there," he says, "but now you can see them thinking 'who's that saddo?' when I walk in."

I like many of the 18 bedrooms in the inn itself, individual and full of colour, though I draw a veil over ours, No 2, meant to be strikingly original but, to our mind, just strikingly odd. But none compare with the Crown's recently unveiled additional accommodation: among the most delightful hotel rooms I've seen in a long time. In Stamford's most elegant street, Barn Hill, two late 18th-century town houses, complete with original panelling, ornate plasterwork and working fireplaces, now contain nine bedrooms and bathrooms, three in one, six in the other, plus their own sitting rooms (which need more personal touches, such as an honesty bar and well chosen books). They are quite wonderful: stay there and experience Stamford at its glorious best.

Oh, and eat at the Crown: Dan Ketteringham's food is genuine, unfussy and several cuts above, which goes for breakfast and tea as well. We need more places like this in our towns.

6 All Saints Place, Stamford (01780 763136;www.thecrownhotelstamford.co.uk) Doubles from £120 per night, including breakfast. Access possible for guests with disabilities. More reviews by Fiona Duncan at www.thehotelguru.com

Rooms (out of five) TTTTT
All a high standard, but the town house rooms are special

Service TTTTT
Local staff working happily for local owners

Character TT
Not much sign of an old coaching inn

Food and drink TTTT
Unfussy; locally sourced; well cooked. Don't miss the trio of puddings: great fun

Value for money TTTT
The bill feels about right "

The Crown Hotel Stamford

The Crown Hotel, is a beautiful little hotel situated in Stamford (My home town), it has a lot of history behind it and has recently been re-ferbished. It is a 4* hotel, and would be a 5 but it has no leisure facilitates. This is exactly the sort of Hotel i would love to re-brand because of the history around it, the setting and the scope for design work. What makes it a good choice to re-brand as well is the fact that I have access to all the information and rooms there due to contacts that i have there. So this means I can re-design everything and put together a real sort of branding experience, and possibly be allowed to put it into context later.

// The Crown

Sunday, 9 October 2011

I really like the structure of this branding and how it's been put together, it has continuity and it exudes excellence. The clean and crisp look makes it have a really clean quality about it. The logo is easily transferred and it creates some really nice letterheads.